* “It is time for the British people to have their say.”–British Prime Minister David Cameron in pledging to hold a referendum within five years on Great Britain’s continued membership in the European Union.
* “Today I can’t help but recognize that the world itself then (Vietnam era) was in many ways simpler, divided as it was along bi-polar, Cold War antagonisms. Today’s world is more complicated than anything we have experienced.”–Sen. John Kerry, secretary of state nominee.
* “Not everyone is going to be able to be a combat soldier. But everyone is entitled to a chance.”–Defense Secretary Leon Panetta.
* “Women now make up almost 15 percent of the U.S. military and their willingness to serve made the switch to an all-volunteer Army possible.”–Gail Collins, New York Times.
* “I’m more than familiar with all the literature about presidential overreach in second terms. We are very cautious about that. On the other hand, I didn’t get re-elected just to bask in re-election.”–President Barack Obama.
* “You have to be willing to be a strong executive-power president in your second term; otherwise, you become a lame duck.”–Historian Douglas Brinkley.
* “We’re expecting over the next 22 months to be the focus of this Administration as they attempt to annihilate the Republican Party.”–Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-Ohio).
* “We’ve got to stop being the stupid party. It’s time for a new Republican Party that talks like adults. We had a number of Republicans damage the brand this year with offensive and bizarre comments. I’m here to say we’ve had enough of that.”–Bobby Jindal, Republican governor of Louisiana.
* “How could equality be a founding principle of a nation, six of whose 13 original states had legalized slavery, and five of whose first seven presidents owned slaves all their lives?”–Patrick J. Buchanan, Creators Syndicate.
* “Lincoln’s presidency is a big, well-lit classroom for business leaders seeking to build successful, enduring organizations. … Listening, always being present and authenticity are essential leadership qualities whether one is leading a country in wartime or a company during a period of transformation.”–Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks.
* “Those of us who work in the arts know that depiction is not endorsement.”–Zero Dark Thirty director Kathryn Bigelow.
* “The bishops hope the Boy Scouts will continue to work under the Judeo-Christian principles upon which they were founded and under which they have served youth well.”–Sister Mary Ann Walsh, spokeswoman for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
* “Our revenues are up. We have a projected surplus now. If we’re going to have a great education system, we’ve got to take care of our teachers. They’re doing the right things.”–Gov. Rick Scott explaining his plan for $2,500 across-the-board pay raises for all full-time public school teachers.
* “There’s a blurry line between politics and policy.”–Florida Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville.
* “Tell him to send the money, but no one is fooled by this. He’s just restoring money that was already stolen from teachers. He can campaign all he wants.”–Karen Aronowitz, president of the United Teachers of Dade.
* “I think the consensus is I’m not well-regarded in Tampa Bay. You know what? I’m not the mayor of Tampa Bay. I don’t have a fiduciary duty to Tampa Bay.”–St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster.
* “We are way away from a merger.”–Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority chairwoman Fran Davin commenting on talks between HART and the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority.
* “I’ve always been a contrarian in terms of challenging what I considered to be the central tenets of whatever it is I’m doing.”–Hillsborough County Commissioner Mark Sharpe.
* “We’re doing good things, but we are not good yet.”–Lightning coach Guy Boucher.